Pau Gasol vs. Marc Gasol (Photo : Jonathan Daniel | Getty Images Sport)
All-Star power forward Pau Gasol is now up for grabs. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical Yahoo Sports, the Chicago Bulls are now aggressively shopping the veteran big man in hope of getting something in return before he gets the chance to opt out from the final year of his deal and become a free-agency next summer.
Gasol, who is coming off his sixth All-Star appearance in Toronto, emerges as another option for the Raptors at trade deadline.
The Raptors, currently second in the East with a 35-17 card, are undecided whether to trade for an established star who can make them a legit threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the postseason or stand pat.
Many believes the Raptors will be gunning for a frontline player capable of playing power forward and center position, should they decide to pursue a trade.
Atlanta Hawks'Al Horford, Houston Rockets' Dwight Howard and New Orleans Pelicans' Ryan Anderson are just some of the names being linked to Raptors. Gasol apparently is the latest power forward in the list, and he might be available at a much cheaper price than all of those aforementioned players.
Via the Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
"The Chicago Bulls are aggressively shopping All-Star forward Pau Gasol, league sources told The Vertical.
Gasol, 35, can opt out of his contract this summer and become an unrestricted free agent, and Bulls general manager Gar Forman seems determined to move him before Thursday's trade deadline with the hope of bringing back value.
Gasol is expected to decline the player option on the $7.4 million owed him in 2016-17."
Shopping a productive player in Gasol (17.0 points and 10.9 rebounds) at this point of the season only shows the Bulls brain-trust aren't confident anymore that their current roster can contend with the Raptors, the Hawks and the Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference title.
The 35-year old Gasol is on the second year of three year deal he signed in 2014. The Bulls fear the Spaniard will opt out from the final year of his contract, so they want to maximize his current trade value as much as possible.
Aside from talented youngster like Patrick Patterson and Terrence Ross, the Raptors have tradable assets in the form of four first-round picks over the next two years. They can use one of these picks to sweeten any trade package for Gasol.
